What you think of yourself always matters. What others think of you only matters if you let it.
Three Certainties In Life
There are three certainties in life that you can count on. Death, taxes, and change.
They all hurt, mostly.
They all happen, eventually.
There is no escaping them. We can only prepare.
Who matters more?
It might be hard for some of us to believe but…
- The color of your skin does not make you more important than any other. It just makes you another unique person.
- Being first to arrive in a country does not mean you have more rights, it means you can help those that come after you.
- Being part of a religious group does not mean all others are dammed, it means you should have learned tolerance, giving back, and loving thy neighbor.
Everyone matters, equally, or at least they should.
Vladimir Horowitz (1903-1989)
Born in Kyiv Ukraine, Vladimir Horowitz is considered one the greatest classical pianist. Hear is a wonderful performance of Liszt: Consolation No. 3
The Irresistible Idiot
Never argue with an idiot. They will drag you down to their level and beat you with experience.
Mark Twain
Temptation to “set them straight” is strong. When you here someone say something ridiculously false or simply an inaccurate telling of the facts, you’ll want to engage. Having a intelligent conversation should be the norm, but when it’s not, it’s time to bow out of this no win situation. Don’t prolong the agony. Agree to disagree and move on.
Repeat After Me
You can’t keep doing the same thing and expect things to change.
Yet, that is what you do. You hope and plan for better days without doing the hard work, changing something you’re doing. Something in your life has got to go if you want something new to begin. Giving up that annoying habit, changing that boring routine, stopping that damaging relationship. You pick, you decide what it’s going to be. No one else can make you do it. No one has the power over your choices. No one else knows your needs, your wants, your dreams. Sure you can take advice. Yes, you can be inspired by those you admire. But for things to change, you must do something different.
Make that change. If it doesn’t work out, make another change.
Dress Code
To suggest, for example, that the way a female student dresses somehow mitigates bad behaviour by male students not only insults females and victims of sexual misconduct, it insults males as well because it implies they are unable to control their own behaviour and actions. If that doesn’t bother all the males reading this, it should.
The Hamilton Spectator – October 23, 2021
Your rights have limits
You are allowed your own thoughts and beliefs and behaviors, but not if it kills me.
Your rights have always been limited. There has always been a struggle between personal rights and the good of everyone else around you. We, the people, allow you to go against the grain, to be a rebel, to choose bizarre and daring ways of living, but only to a point.
It must go both ways. If going your own way hurts others, then we can hurt back, meaning, we can limit your behavior through many ways, including incarceration.
Your choices have limits. Your choices have consequences. You live in a world that shares so much.
Push the boundaries if you must, but don’t be surprised when someone pushes back.
It’s always up to you
It’s hard to believe but you have complete control over your life.
You can stay the course or you can make a drastic life changing decision in the blink of an eye.
Sure, we like to say that we are stuck in this daily grind, that our choices are limited by our circumstances. And yes, we have responsibilities and there are people depending on us. Oh, and we can say that life is complicated and it’s too scary to move into the unknown.
All valid reasons to stay put in your safe place, our comfort zone. We have our reasons and they are used by the best of us.
But in the final analysis, in a moment of clarity, in the quiet reflection of your choices taken, you know these are just excuses.
What are you afraid of? Fear is powerful and it comes in many forms. That step into the dark has the potential to bring great rewards.